JP2024017709A - cooling module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooling module that has high versatility and can support various cooling circuits.

SOLUTION: A cooling module A includes: a flow passage through which a fluid circulates and which is formed in the cooling module; a plurality of flow passage blocks B in which an inlet and an output of the flow passage are formed at an outside surface thereof, where the inlet of one flow passage block B and the outlet of another flow passage blocks B of the plurality of flow passage blocks B are connected to each other to form a cooling flow passage.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to cooling modules.

In recent years, vehicles equipped with a motor as a driving source (hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), battery electric vehicle (BEV), fuel cell vehicle) have become popular. (FCEV: Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) etc.) are becoming popular. These vehicles (hereinafter collectively referred to as "electric vehicles") are equipped with batteries for driving motors. Since electric vehicles have many devices that require cooling, such as motors (including internal combustion engines such as engines), batteries, air conditioners, and ECUs, these devices are cooled by configuring a cooling circuit that circulates cooling water. However, these devices may have different appropriate operating temperatures. In such a case, since the temperature of the circulating cooling water is changed for each device with a different operating temperature, it is necessary to configure an independent cooling circuit for each cooling water temperature, and the cooling circuit piping and circuit configuration must be configured separately. becomes complicated. The valve that switches the flow path also needs to be compatible with such a complicated circuit configuration.

In the cooling module disclosed in Patent Document 1 (flow path switching device in Patent Document 1), a plurality of inflow ports and outlet ports (in Patent Document 1, connection A flow path (side flow path in Patent Document 1) connected to the outflow port and the inflow port is formed inside the main body member to allow the heat medium to flow. Further, inside the main body member of the cooling module, a valve (heat medium three-way valve, heat medium opening/closing valve in Patent Document 1) that switches the flow path of the heat medium or opens and closes the flow path of the heat medium is arranged. has been done.

International Publication No. 2022/019058

Generally, in a cooling module including the cooling module disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to design a cooling circuit for each different vehicle type and manufacture a dedicated cooling module for each vehicle type. That is, the cooling module has a problem of lack of versatility because it is designed exclusively for each vehicle type.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a highly versatile cooling module that can be adapted to various cooling circuits.

One embodiment of the cooling module according to the present invention includes a plurality of flow path blocks each having a flow path through which a fluid flows formed inside and an inlet and an outlet of the flow path formed on the outer surface. A cooling channel is formed by connecting the inlet of one of the channel blocks and the outlet of the other channel block to each other.

According to this embodiment, since a cooling channel can be configured by freely combining a plurality of channel blocks, there is no need to manufacture a dedicated cooling module for each vehicle model, and a versatile cooling module can be provided. can do.

In another embodiment of the cooling module according to the present invention, the flow path block has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

According to this embodiment, since the outer surfaces of the channel blocks are flat and perpendicular to each other, there is no wasted space between the channel blocks, especially when connecting the channel blocks three-dimensionally. , the necessary cooling channel functions can be configured with a minimum volume.

In another embodiment of the cooling module according to the present invention, the plurality of flow path blocks connected to each other are configured to be detachable.

According to this embodiment, even if a problem occurs in the cooling module, there is no need to replace the entire cooling module, and only the flow path block in which the problem has occurred needs to be replaced, which is advantageous from a cost standpoint.

In another embodiment of the cooling module according to the present invention, at least one of the plurality of flow path blocks has an auxiliary device that controls the flow of the fluid.

According to this embodiment, since the flow path block has the auxiliary equipment, it is possible not only to simply circulate the fluid but also to control the flow of the fluid. Thereby, a cooling module having desired functions can be easily configured.

In another embodiment of the cooling module according to the present invention, the flow path block has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the auxiliary machine is a pump, and the inlet and the outlet are different from each other in the flow path block. formed on the outer surface.

According to this embodiment, since the inlet and the outlet are formed on different outer surfaces of the flow path block, the fluid can be pumped while changing the direction of fluid flow.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cooling module according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the cooling module. It is a perspective view of a fluid path block. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. It is a perspective view of a valve block. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. It is a perspective view of a pump block. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fluid path block according to a modification of the first embodiment. It is a perspective view of the fluid path block concerning a second embodiment. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 10. FIG. It is a perspective view of the fluid path block concerning a third embodiment. It is a sectional view showing a modification of a pump block.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the cooling module according to the present invention will be described in detail using the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are illustrative for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited only to these embodiments. Therefore, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist thereof.

[First embodiment]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cooling module A according to the present embodiment includes a fluid path block B1 (an example of a flow path block), a valve block B2 (an example of a flow path block), and a pump block B3 (an example of a flow path block). (an example of road blocks) are combined by connecting them to each other. The fluid path block B1, the valve block B2, and the pump block B3 are functional blocks each having a fluid distribution function, a fluid path switching and/or fluid path opening/closing function, and a fluid pressure feeding function. Hereinafter, the fluid path block B1, the valve block B2, and the pump block B3 will be collectively referred to as a flow path block B. The flow path block B has a housing H having an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape (in this embodiment, a cube shape), and the six outer surfaces of the housing H are used to realize each function. The housing H is made of resin or metal such as aluminum alloy. In addition, in FIGS. 1 and 2, in some flow path blocks B, connections to other flow path blocks B or piping are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the fluid path block B1 has three different fluid paths through which cooling water (an example of a fluid) and refrigerant (an example of a fluid) flow inside the housing H. Hereinafter, cooling water and refrigerant will be collectively referred to as fluid. The six external surfaces of the housing H are the first surface H1 (an example of an external surface), the second surface H2 (an example of an external surface), the third surface H3 (an example of an external surface), the fourth surface H4 (an example of an external surface), and the fifth surface. H5 (an example of an outer surface) and a sixth surface H6 (an example of an outer surface), the fluid path block B1 has a first fluid path 11 (an example of a flow path) between the first surface H1 and the second surface H2. , a second fluid path 12 (an example of a flow path) between the third surface H3 and the fourth surface H4, and a third fluid path 13 (an example of a flow path) between the fifth surface H5 and the sixth surface H6. has. The first inlet 21 (an example of an inlet) is on the first surface H1, the first outlet 31 (an example of an inlet) is on the second surface H2, and the second inlet 22 (an example of an inlet) is on the third surface H3. example), the fourth surface H4 has a second outlet 32 (an example of an outlet), the fifth surface H5 has a third inlet 23 (an example of an inlet), and the sixth surface H6 has an unillustrated outlet. Three outlets (an example of an outlet) are arranged.

A male connector 14 is attached to each of the first inlet 21, the first outlet 31, the second inlet 22, the second outlet 32, the third inlet 23, and the third outlet. In addition, the first inlet 21, the first outlet 31, the second inlet 22, the second outlet 32, the third inlet 23, and the third outlet are set as upstream inlets and outlets for convenience. Alternatively, all inlets and outlets may be reversed. These are determined by the flow direction of the fluid flowing through the first fluid path 11, the second fluid path 12, and the third fluid path 13. Furthermore, the fluid path configuration is not limited to that shown in FIG. 4, and a fluid path that connects any inlet and outlet may be configured. Further, the number of fluid paths is not three, but may be two or less.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the valve block B2 includes a switching valve 40 (an example of an auxiliary device) in which a valve body 41 is arranged inside the housing H to switch the fluid path. The switching valve 40 has an actuator 42 on the sixth surface H6 that drives a valve body 41 having a circular cross section about the axis X. The valve block B2 has a first inlet 21 on a first surface H1, a first outlet 31 on a second surface H2, a second inlet 22 on a third surface H3, and a second outlet 32 on a fourth surface H4. A bearing that supports the valve body 41 is mounted on the fifth surface H5. Two fluid passages 43 and 44 (an example of a passage) are formed inside the valve body 41, and in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, the first inlet 21 and the first outlet 31 are connected, and the first The second inlet 22 and the second outlet 32 are connected.

When the valve body 41 is rotated by 90 degrees clockwise around the axis X from the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, the fluid path connecting the inlet and the outlet is switched, and As shown, the first inlet 21 and the second outlet 32 are connected by a fluid path 44, and the second inlet 22 and the first outlet 31 are connected by a fluid path 43. In this way, in the valve block B2, the fluid path can be switched by rotating the valve body 41 using the actuator 42. Male connectors 14 are attached to the first inlet 21, the first outlet 31, the second inlet 22, and the second outlet 32, respectively, similarly to the fluid path block B1. In the valve block B2, the first inlet 21, the first outlet 31, the second inlet 22, and the second outlet 32 are conveniently set as upstream inlets and outlets, and any or all of the flow The inlet and outlet may be reversed. Furthermore, if the valve body 41 is rotated by less than 90 degrees around the axis X from the state shown by the solid line in FIG. It also functions as a valve.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pump block B3 has a built-in pump 60 (an example of an auxiliary device) that pumps fluid from the first surface H1 of the housing H to the inside thereof. In the pump block B3, the inside of the housing H is a cavity 66, and a fluid passage is not formed in the cavity 66, an outlet 56 (an example of an outlet) is formed on the second surface H2, and a first flow is formed on the third surface H3. An inlet 51 (an example of an inlet), a second inlet 52 (an example of an inlet) on the fourth surface H4, a third inlet 53 (an example of an inlet) on the fifth surface H5, and not shown on the sixth surface H6. A fourth inlet is formed. The pump 60 has a pump inlet 62 through which fluid is taken in and a pump outlet 63 through which fluid is pumped, and the pump inlet 62 is disposed in a cavity 66 inside the housing H. There is. Pump outlet 63 is connected to outlet 56 . Male connectors 14 are attached to the first inlet 51, the second inlet 52, the third inlet 53, and the outlet 56, respectively, similarly to the fluid path block B1 and the valve block B2. However, the male connector 14 attached to the outlet 56 extends into the cavity 66 so as to be connected to the pump outlet 63 of the pump 60.

In the pump block B3 configured in this way, fluid flows into the cavity 66 inside the housing H from the first inlet 51, the second inlet 52, and the third inlet 53, and the cavity 66 is filled with the fluid. When the pump 60 is driven in this state, the fluid in the cavity 66 flows into the pump 60 from the pump inlet 62 due to the rotation of an impeller (not shown). Then, the fluid is pumped by the impeller, flows through the pump fluid path 64, passes through the pump outlet 63, and flows out from the outlet 56. As can be understood from this, the positions of the inlet and outlet of the pump block B3 are fixed and cannot be reversed. In this embodiment, four inflow ports are provided, but the number may be three or less. Furthermore, the male connectors 14 may be capped at the inflow ports to which the male connectors 14 of other flow path blocks B are not connected, so that the fluid in the cavity 66 does not leak to the outside.

The fluid passage block B1, the valve block B2, and the pump block B3 can be freely combined to form a cooling passage depending on the design of the cooling circuit. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the respective flow path blocks B can be connected via female connectors 15 having female ends. That is, the female connector 15 is placed between the male connectors 14, 14 of the channel block B to be connected, and each end of the female connector 15 is fitted to the male connector 14. Thereby, the flow path blocks B can be configured to be detachable from each other. Note that the male connector 14 and the female connector 15 are configured to prevent fluid from flowing out of the connectors by means of a packing (not shown) or the like. Since such male connector 14 and female connector 15 are well known, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that in FIG. 1, the flow path blocks B are connected two-dimensionally, but it is also possible to connect them three-dimensionally.

In the cooling module A according to the present embodiment, the cooling channel can be configured by freely combining a plurality of functional channel blocks B, so there is no need to manufacture a dedicated cooling module for each vehicle type. , it is possible to provide a versatile cooling module A. Furthermore, since the housing H of the flow path block B has a cubic shape, the flow path block B is Another channel block B can be connected to any of the six outer surfaces of the channel block B. In addition, since the outer surfaces of the housing H are flat and perpendicular to each other, there is no wasted space between the flow path blocks B, especially when connecting the flow path blocks B three-dimensionally. The function of the cooling channel can be configured with a minimum volume.

Further, by using the male connector 14 and the female connector 15 to connect the flow path blocks B to each other, the flow path blocks B can be configured to be detachable. As a result, even if a problem occurs in cooling module A, there is no need to replace the entire cooling module A, but only the flow path block B where the problem has occurred, which is advantageous from a cost perspective. .

Further, since the flow path block B includes the valve block B2 and the pump block B3, the flow path block B can not only simply circulate the fluid but also control the flow of the fluid. Thereby, the cooling module A having desired functions can be easily configured. In particular, in the pump block B3, since the inlet and the outlet are formed on different outer surfaces of the channel block B, the fluid can be pumped while changing the direction of fluid flow.

In addition, in the pump block B3, by having the cavity 66 inside the housing H, the fluid flowing in from the first inlet 51, the second inlet 52, the third inlet 53, and the fourth inlet can flow into the block. It is temporarily stored in the cavity 66. Therefore, compared to the case where the fluid is directly flowed into the pump 60 from the inlet, foreign matter is less likely to get mixed into the pump 60, and the occurrence of a failure of the pump 60 can be suppressed.

[Modification of the first embodiment]
The flow path block B constitutes a cooling module A by connecting male connectors 14, 14 via a female connector 15. At this time, only the female connector 15 maintains the connection between the flow path blocks B. Therefore, if an external force is applied to the female connector 15, there is a risk that the fitting with the male connector 14 will come off. Therefore, in this modification, as shown in FIG. 18. Thereby, it is possible to increase the holding strength between the flow path blocks B and to suppress excessive external force from acting between the male connector 14 and the female connector 15. In addition to providing the fitting part 17 and the fitted part 18, the male connector 14 is also provided by accommodating the cooling module A formed by connecting the flow path block B in a housing that matches the overall shape of the cooling module A. The cooling module A may be configured to increase the strength of the cooling module A by preventing the female connector 15 from disengaging.

[Second embodiment]
In the first embodiment and its modifications, the male connectors 14 were attached to the inlet and the outlet. Therefore, when the male connectors 14, 14 were connected to each other via the female connector 15, the housing H of the flow path block B was separated by the length of the connectors. In the fluid path block B1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the female connector 16 is provided on the first surface H1, the fourth surface H4, and the sixth surface H6 instead of the male connector 14. installed. The female connector 16 is configured so that only one male connector 14 can be fitted therein, and the female connector 16 is attached to the housing H from the outer surface toward the inside. By doing so, when the male connector 14 and the female connector 16 are fitted together, the connectors are located inside the housing H, and the outer surfaces of the housing H can be brought into contact with each other. Thereby, the cooling module A can be downsized, and the strength of the cooling module A as a whole can be increased. Note that the female connector 16 may be attached to the valve block B2 and pump block B3. Further, the female connector 16 may be attached to an outer surface other than the first surface H1, the fourth surface H4, and the sixth surface H6. However, it is preferable that a male connector 14 and a female connector 16 be attached to one flow path.

[Third embodiment]
In each of the above embodiments and their modifications, the housing H has a cubic shape, but it is not limited to this. In the fluid path block B1 according to this embodiment, the housing H has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, as shown in FIG. By making the housing H into a rectangular parallelepiped shape, among the first surface H1 to the sixth surface H6, the second surface H2, the fourth surface H4, the fifth surface H5, and the sixth surface H6, which are rectangular, have two An inlet and/or an outlet may be provided. Thereby, the cooling module A having a desired cooling circuit can be configured with a small number of blocks. Note that three or more inlets and outlets may be provided on the rectangular surface. Moreover, the rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing H can also be applied to the valve block B2 and the pump block B3.

[Modified example of pump block]
The pump block B3 of the first embodiment had only one outflow port 56, and had a plurality of inflow ports from the first inflow port 51 to the fourth inflow port. In this modification, a configuration of a pump block B3 having one inlet and multiple outlet ports will be described.

As shown in FIG. 13, the pump block B3 according to this modification also includes a built-in pump 60 that pumps fluid from the first surface H1 of the housing H to the inside, as in the first embodiment. . The first outlet 71 (an example of an outlet) is on the second surface H2 of the pump block B3, the inlet 76 (an example of an inlet) is on the third surface H3, and the second outlet 72 (an example of an outlet) is on the fourth surface H4 of the pump block B3. ), a third outflow port (not shown) (an example of an outflow port) is formed on the fifth surface H5, and a fourth outflow port (not shown) (an example of an outflow port) is formed on the sixth surface H6. The cavity inside the housing H is divided into a first cavity 67 and a second cavity 68. The inlet 76 is connected to the first cavity 67 , and the first outlet 71 , the second outlet 72 , the third outlet, and the fourth outlet are connected to the second cavity 68 . The pump inlet 62 of the pump 60 is located in the first cavity 67 , and the pump outlet 63 is located in the second cavity 68 .

In the pump block B3 configured in this manner, fluid flows into the first cavity 67 inside the housing H from the inlet 76, and the first cavity 67 is filled with the fluid. When the pump 60 is driven in this state, the fluid in the first cavity 67 flows into the pump 60 from the pump inlet 62 due to the rotation of an impeller (not shown). Then, the fluid is pumped by the impeller, flows through the pump fluid path 64, and flows out from the pump outlet 63 into the second cavity 68. When the second cavity 68 is filled with fluid, the fluid flows out from the first outlet 71, the second outlet 72, the third outlet, and the fourth outlet. As can be understood from this, the positions of the inlet and outlet of the pump block B3 are fixed and cannot be reversed. In addition, in the modified example, four outflow ports are provided, but the number may be three or less. Further, the male connector 14 may be covered with a cap at the outlet to which the male connector 14 of the other channel block B is not connected, so that the fluid in the second cavity 68 does not leak to the outside. . Further, the number of inflow ports connected to the first cavity 67 may be increased. In this modification, the number of inflow ports and the number of outflow ports can be set to any number as long as the total number is within five.

The cooling module A may be configured by freely combining the plurality of embodiments described above and their modifications. Alternatively, the cooling module A formed by interconnecting a plurality of fluid path blocks B1, valve blocks B2, and pump blocks B3 may be mounted on a vehicle as a sealed unit covered with a housing.

The present disclosure can be utilized in cooling modules.

11: First fluid path (flow path)
12: Second fluid path (flow path)
13: Third fluid path (flow path)
21: First inlet (inlet)
22: Second inlet (inlet)
23: Third inlet (inlet)
31: First outlet (outlet)
32: Second outlet (outlet)
40: Switching valve (auxiliary equipment)
43: Fluid path (flow path)
44: Fluid path (flow path)
51: First inlet (inlet)
52: Second inlet (inlet)
53: Third inlet (inlet)
56: Outlet (outlet)
60: Pump (auxiliary equipment)
A: Cooling module B1: Fluid path block (flow path block)
B2: Valve block (flow path block)
B3: Pump block (flow path block)
H1: First surface (outer surface)
H2: Second surface (outer surface)
H3: Third surface (outer surface)
H4: Fourth surface (outer surface)
H5: Fifth surface (outer surface)
H6: Sixth surface (outer surface)

Claims (5)

A plurality of flow path blocks each having a flow path through which fluid flows formed inside and an inlet and an outlet of the flow path formed on the outer surface,
A cooling module in which a cooling channel is formed by connecting the inlet of one of the plurality of channel blocks to the outlet of another channel block. The cooling module according to claim 1, wherein the flow path block has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The cooling module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of flow path blocks connected to each other are configured to be detachable. The cooling module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of flow path blocks includes an auxiliary device that controls the flow of the fluid. The flow path block has a rectangular parallelepiped shape,
The auxiliary machine is a pump,
The cooling module according to claim 4, wherein the inlet and the outlet are respectively formed on different outer surfaces of the flow path block.

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